JOHNOSSI - debut album!Topic: MusicThe full length album, simply named Johnossi, will be released for sale on January 26th, 2005. Listen to Execution Song on Border Records. Read about the Swedish rock duo JOHNOSSI (John and Ossi) on johnossi.com

Five hundred dollars in fines for poor handwritingTopic: CalligraphyPoor handwriting may result in fines - "Doctors with chicken scratch for handwriting who write illegible prescriptions could face discipline and up to $500 in fines per episode under a bill endorsed Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee." The panel voted 16-2 to send an amended version of House Bill 254, by Rep. Chris Harris, D-Bozeman, to the House floor for debate. Read the article by Charles S. Johnson, Helena, Montana in the Billings Gazette, 21.Jan.2005. (link via Kate Gladstone)

Original Picasso sells on Costco Web siteTopic: ArtThe crayon-on-paper drawing of a face signed and dated by Pablo Picasso was listed for $39,999.99 on the retailer's Web site January 12. It sold Wednesday, said Jim Sinegal, Costco's chief executive, who would not identify the buyer. Read the story at CNN.com 21.Jan.2005. (link via newsfromme)

Scrapbooking is getting hot!Topic: TypographyScrapbookers are looking for fonts and they want to learn learn lettering and calligraphy.

"Words, Words, Words! Words are IN. Using alphabets of all different kinds are a hot trend. I love to use metal letters, tiles, stickers, pre-made vellum wording, and ANY kind of lettering on my pages. Everywhere I go, I notice lettering styles and fonts. Am I sick? Obsessed? No, I just love words!"Get the Stencil Look with Fonts, article by Kathleen Aho, aka 'Rockester', on scrapjazz.com 12.Sep.2004.

Calligrapher Tom Gourdie died 6. January 2005Topic: CalligraphyThomas Gourdie MBE; born May 18, 1913, died January 6, 2005. "If Tom Gourdie had a mission in life, it was to make the world write -- to produce writing styles that possessed clarity and fluidity, that were legible and a delight to the eye. In his 92nd year, he was Scotland's doyen of calligraphy and grand old man of handwriting..."

Top 100 Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels 2004Topic: Comics2004 Industry Stats, Top 100 Comics and Graphic Novels, Top 50 MangaDiamond Comics Distributors has released industry statistics for the entirety of 2004 showing the top selling comics, graphic novels and manga, as well as which company had the largest market share in 2004. Read the list on CBR News 14.Jan.2005.

FROM THE PUBLISHER "From Jeph Loeb, the author of Batman: Dark Victory and Jim Lee, the founder of Wildstorm Comics. Old friends and enemies find themselves thrown together in a murderous plot hatched by Poison Ivy. What is she plotting? No one quite knows, but by manipulating both Batman and his enemies Killer Croc and Catwoman tensions are high and no one is to be trusted in Gotham City tonight!"

His Nibs - Selected VegetablesTopic: DesignHis Nibs vintage vegetable crate label. There are lots of cool old advertising collectibles on eBay auctions. Here is an old label I found when I was searching for nibs.»View item #7127137455 Auction ends 17.Jan.2005

TypogeneratorTopic: ArtTypogenerator is a random generator for 'typoPosters' - posters created from images and letters/text that doesn't have any sense, just looks good. Typogenerator is a student project by Kathi Nussbaumer, Austria, summer 2004.

Ballograf is Swedish againTopic: Pens, PencilsBic Sells Ballograf Activities "The French writing implement and lighter corporation Bic has sold the writing implement brand Ballograf after 45 years. The French bought the company in 1959 to gain access to the Scandinavian market. Now, the Ballograf management has bought back all shares from Bic. Ballograf produces propelling pencils and achieved sales of eight million euros with them in the business year 2003. Within the Bic Corporation, this only represented 4% of European sales and consequently was not a strategic order of magnitude. However, collaboration will be continued between Bic and Ballograf in the Scandinavian, Austrian and Swiss markets."News via Ambiente 29.Dec.2004